Without thought as to how I would feed my two children or replace our health–care benefits, I had walked out in the middle of my factory shift and never looked back.
I had also recently divorced my husband of 12 years and was currently in a very rocky (to say the least) new relationship.
The factory job was where I had met and fallen in love with the man I would eventually marry. But that new relationship quickly turned into a nightmare when I discovered he was an alcoholic. We soon were in an all–out battle of accusations, mistrust, and abuse. Our work environment, known as a virtual “Peyton Place,” did not help.
I was at my wits’ end about how to fix what was broken. The turning point came as I followed God’s lead and left my job. As I walked away from financial security and the comfort of knowing my place in the world, my steps were at first mechanical. They evolved into unsure steps, then weighty steps of impending doom. But by the time I got home, I had regained my footing and had once again put myself in God’s hands. I was confident He would continue to lead the way.
Which way, Lord?
A few weeks later, I decided to walk into town. I passed a store on my way that had a “help wanted” sign in the window. On the way back from my errands, I forgot about the sign and took a different route. I came to an intersection, where, if I turned right, I would go home; a left would take me back to where the sign was posted. At that moment, I again asked for God’s guidance. I turned left.
I secured the part–time job, became full–time in less than two weeks, and, believe it or not, within a month was managing the store. I had found my new place in the world. In the three years I worked there, I met terrific people and learned a lot about my abilities and inabilities.
Looking back, I now know that leaving my job for the sake of my new relationship was God’s way of leading my future husband and me in the right direction. We discovered a newfound connection with our Savior, which became the foundation for our future. We are currently in our 11th year of a successful relationship. We were married in 2000, and my husband has been in recovery since 2001. Prayers do indeed get answered.
You would think that this is the end of my story, but there is another twist.
What about Dad?
My father died when I was 18. He had been in and out of my life that entire time. Like my husband, he was an alcoholic. Before he died, he had hit rock bottom. He was homeless and although I loved him very much, I realized that his addiction had robbed us of a father/daughter relationship. I had often thought of his last few months on Earth and the life he had led prior to his death. I was fearful that I would not see him in Heaven and longed to mend the turmoil in my heart.
He died Nov. 6, 1984, at a Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center (ARC) in York, Pa. The program’s beneficiaries are both voluntary and by–order–of–the–court participants. It is a program in which God and work become part of the rehabilitation process. Participants, called beneficiaries, are required to work for the center and attend church.
My father had entered the program voluntarily—the first time he had admitted his problem—and worked as a chef. After serving breakfast that November morning, he had a massive heart attack and was found dead in the service elevator. He had been in the program many months and had successfully found recovery in the process.
A thrift store connection
I learned the details of this wonderful program through my Salvation Army Thrift Store employment. That’s the place where that “help wanted” sign was in the window. Being a part of this worthwhile effort taught me how the program works and where the proceeds go—to help people in the ARC. Program beneficiaries sort clothing; work in stores located at rehab locations; deliver clothing, furniture, and other items to retail thrift stores across the country; and perform numerous other jobs in exchange for housing, basic needs, and rehabilitation. All sales, in turn, pay for the cost of running the centers. The beneficiaries are taught that through God and work, recovery is possible.
I believe God led me that day I left my factory job, and in all my subsequent days. I believe my father is now in Heaven because he found the Lord at the ARC. I believe we will meet again and because of God’s answering the questions I did not know I had, my heart is now at peace.
Crystal Calderon, a mother of five and grandmother of four, lives in Delaware, where she praises God every day for the blessings in her life.
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